Coding strips for Zeiss & Voitlander lenses

This morning on LUF the user NicoleLeica made the suggestion of using a pre-printed sticker for coding the new Zeiss and CV (voitlander) M lenses, several of these lenses now ship with a groove all the way around the base of the lens for coding the lens. 

I have been using a sharpie to create this code, and also created a disposable M-coder template for this job, this works well, but sometimes the sharpie marks take a few tries to get them accepted by the camera.  So NicoleLeica's suggestion did make some sense.

A hour later I had a prototype, and took to testing the first version of this idea.  it is printed and cut on self-adheasive white media. Ahhh ya gotta love computers. Click for Picts.

The first version is working and Im playing with version 2 which instead of the complete circle will have a partial arc only and the tap for positioning in the lens lock-slot.

Here is my CV 15mm 4.5 coded as a WATE 010000 with the original complete circle strip.  Notice the tab sticking out to the right in the picture, this is the registration as it fits into the cutout in the metal for the lock pin on the Leica M8.  When I finished placing the sticker I lifted the tab and the circle up and cut away most material leaving about 10mm after the bar code and 10mm before the wate text, then pushed it all down and placed a piece of paper on top while I rubbed everything down hard with a fingernail.  The cool thing is that this coded perfectly first time around, unlike some of my experiments using the shapie pen.

First shot with the WATE code-strip, recognized by the camera. (for those unfamiliar with the wate, when you mount the lens the camera will pop a menu with options 16mm 18mm and 21mm and you can pick any one of these, I pressed SET for the default 18mm in the middle of the menu.)

Clearly you can easily guess how this story is going to go.. below is a picture of my CV Voitlander 35mm 1.4 coded as a 35LUX.

Same process as before, laid down the sticker after registering the tab in the cut-out, then tacked down the barcode and picked the rest of the sticker up to trip away the extra material, then pressed it all down like crazy with a fingernail.

Again, the lens registers right away as I had hoped for.

I made the barcode marks to simply be six bars instead of the round design seen on 6bit coded lenses, and I played a bit with moving the sticker a bit back and forth, it seems that there is room for almost +-1mm of tolerance when the marks are made this way.

The first prototype sheet - disregard the WATE - pure lazyness on my part.

Sooo what-ya think.?   What is the top 3 or 5 Zeiss and CV lenses with a groove for coding.?  and you know the funny things is that NicoleLeica who started this, don't actually have any Zeiss or CV lenses.

I figure I will have this dialed in by next week and will make these available for purchase here, just need to figure out what lenses have the grove and test each code carefully.

My previous post about the Laser Cut Coding Template for the M8

The LUF (Leica User Forum) message tread which which started this madness.

Comments

[Matt Dunn]

Hi Bo,

Just ordered the template. Can you include a few stickers? I have the Zeiss Sonnar 50 ZM and the Zeiss 25mm ZM and use both with a Leica M9.

Thanks!

[Ozman]

I just ordered your M8 coder via Paypal, and then saw this post! I'm trying to code a Zeiss 50/2 and the CV 35/1.4. Is it possible to change my order? --Oz

[Bo Lorentzen]

Duane,

After testing the stickers did not make any sense, they wear off and get dirty, you are better off with a sharpie and a template which can be used lots of times.

Bo

[Duane Middlebrook]

Bo,

Do you have these stickers for Zeiss/CV lenses for sale yet? I don't see an order link.

Best regards,
Duane

[peter bisgaard]

Hi Bo.
If any stickers left for CV 15/4,5 & Nokton 35/1,4 & 50/1,1 I would be pleased. Just placed an order 10 min. ago

best regards
Peter

[Vinay]

Hello Bo,

Like the previous poster, I ordered a template and it would be great if you could include a few stickers as well. I have 3 non coded Zeiss lenses. Thanks!

[Derek]

Hello Bo,

I just ordered the template and was wondering if you put a couple of stickers in for me when you ship it over to Hong Kong.

I wanted to use it for a Leica 35mm and figure its easier to mark the sticker than to have pen marks on the lens. Thanks!

[Bo Lorentzen]

Lâm - I have some precut, remember they only work with the lenses with the coding groove. place a order for the template and I will stick a couple of stickers in the envelope.

[Lâm]

Like a lot of people, I own a CV 15 f/4.5 and a nokton 35 f/1.4, would be nice to get the stickers for those !

[Mike Beller]

Bo's coder worked like a charm. Took less than a minute and in business with my CV 15 M.

[HOWIE FELLER]

Awesome stip... worked the first time.. my VC 15mm f4.5 M is now coded as a WAITE... Thanks Bo, Howie